David Drimmie 1838 to 1889

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David Drimmie 1838 to 1889 born Laurancekirk Scotland.

James Joyce....Ulysses....

one day in Dublin June 16th 1904....

Leopold Bloom....fictional main protagonist

in James Joyce’s Novel Ulysses….

Drimmie’s …. where Bloom was once employed.

Having acquired a copy of “Ulysses” by James Joyce

and struggled through it's pages for a while

trying to understand it and where it was going

I came upon this gem in the text.....

”And the day I went to Drimmie's without a necktie.”

To say I was bowled over by this is an understatement.

Researching the surname Drimmie

has been a serious project of mine for a good few years

and this reference to Drimmie intrigued me no end.

The question now was where had Joyce come upon this name

and who did it belong to.

From JAMES JOYCE New and Revised Edition

RICHARD ELLMANN 1982

John Joyce, James Joyce's father….

The food bill was managed with equal address.

The family lived on credit from grocers who dwelt

in the expectation of being paid at least a little

of the debts they had foolishly allowed to accumulate.

Once when John Joyce had collected his monthly pension

at David Drimmie and Son, his daughter Mabel persuaded

him to pay off the grocer, give up drinking, and start afresh.

The grocer eagerly accepted the money, then closed the account.

John Joyce vowed he would never pay off a bill again,

and doubtless he kept his word.

So we now have the link to James Joyce

through his father John's pension

being payable at David Drimmie’s insurance offices in Dublin.

David Drimmie 1838

David Drimmie 1838 to 1889 (born Laurancekirk Scotland)

David's father George Drimmie

was employed in the Gasworks at Brechin for ten years

when he applied for the office of manager of the new Gasworks

being built at Letterkenny County of Donegal Ireland.

Out of thirteen candidates he was appointed manager

and moved there with his family in 1856

that would make David's age when he arrived in Ireland 18.

In 1861 David married Elizabeth Rose Londonderry.

In 1862 due to David's new wife's business failing

he appears in bankruptcy court Dublin.

His wife Elizabeth Rose was a rather naive young lady

she had no accountancy or business skills and when married

he was surprised to find that her liabilities were £1300.

He had no option but to file for insolvency

and after a protracted case in court

eventually the judge declared him bankrupt.

By 1864 David had established his own agency business within the

insurance industry and was making such a success of it

that this appeared in the Belfast Morning News dated 25th January 1864.

Reward Of Merit

Mr David Drimmie of Derry has been favoured with

a highly complimentary letter from the manager of

The English and Scottish Law Life Assurance Association of Edinburgh,

conveying to him a resolution passed by the board of directors of that office

expressive of their high appreciation of the active

and valuable service rendered by him to the association

during the past year; and which letter has been accompanied

by the very substantial gift of one hundred guineas to Mr Drimmie.

We have pleasure in recording such favourable testimony

to the admirable business habits and rectitude of conduct

of this gentleman, while, at the same time,

it affords a striking evidence of the liberality and forethought

of the directors of this association in so handsomely

recognising their meritorious representative in this district.

We wish Mr Drimmie increasing success….Derry Guardian.

This then places David Drimmie in Derry 1864.

LEADING INSURANCE MEN OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE.

By.....R. B. Caverly, George Nugent-Bankes (circa)1891

David Drimmie and Sons.

George, David jnr and Arthur Drimmie are the partners in the firm.

Their father, Mr. David Drimmie, the founder of the firm,

was connected with the

English and Scottish Law Life Assurance Association

for twenty-eight years in all,

first as an Agent at Londonderry, and for the last twenty five years

as Secretary for Ireland at Dublin.

Representatives in Ireland of the Phoenix Fire Office,

the English and Scottish Law Life Association,

and the National Guarantee Association.

In 1867 he was appointed Secretary for Ireland

to the National Guarantee Association,

and transacted a large and profitable business on

their behalf as well.

In 1876, on the Phoenix Fire Office re-commencing to

do business in Ireland, Mr. Drimmie obtained the

management of its affairs, and succeeded in

working up a very large business for that Office.

He also held the appointment of Secretary

to the Accident Association of Scotland,

and on that Company's business being

amalgamated with that of the Lancashire and

Yorkshire Accident Company he took an Agency

for the latter Office.

In 1883, after some years careful training under their father,

and with the cordial consent of all his Directors,

Mr. Drimmie took his two elder sons, George and David,

into partnership with him, under the title of David Drimmie and Sons,

in the management of his extensive and growing Insurance business,

and since his death these sons have taken their younger brother

Arthur Hamilton Drimmie into the firm,

and continue the business under the same title.

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